


A Future Worth Fighting For

by TheRedeemer1995



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Badass Haruno Sakura, Badass Hatake Kakashi, Badass Hyuuga Hinata, Badass Rock Lee, Badass Uchiha Sarada, Badass Uchiha Sasuke, Badass Uzumaki Boruto, Badass Uzumaki Naruto, Boruto Uzumaki of The Jogan Eye, Boruto Vs Sasuke, Byakugan, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Curse Marks (Naruto), Do Not Piss Off A Kunoichi (Naruto), Established Relationship, Established Uchiha Sarada/Uzumaki Boruto, Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan User Uchiha Sarada, F/M, Hyuuga Neji Lives, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I wrote this a long time ago, Jogan (Naruto), Kama (Naruto), Kazekage Gaara (Naruto), Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village Destroyed, Mangekyou Sharingan, Mentioned Hokage Uzumaki Naruto, Mentioned Kawaki (Naruto), Mentioned Ootsutsuki Momoshiki (Naruto), NaruHina - Freeform, Not Canon Compliant, Older Uchiha Sarada, Older Uzumaki Boruto, Post-Naruto Time Skip | Naruto Shippuden, Rewriting History, Rinnegan, Rinnegan User Uchiha Sarada, Sharingan, Strong Haruno Sakura, The Author Regrets Nothing, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Time Travel, Time Travel Break-it, Time Travel Fix-It, Uchiha Itachi Meets Uchiha Sarada, Uchiha Sasuke Being an Asshole, Uchiha Sasuke Has Issues, Uzumaki Naruto is a Good Friend, everyone is a badass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27217816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedeemer1995/pseuds/TheRedeemer1995
Summary: Following a botched attempt to travel back in time to prevent the destruction of their home and their very way of life, and with no apparent way to return to their own proper place in time, Boruto Uzumaki and his girlfriend, Sarada Uchiha, end up taking part in the events preceding, during, and after the Fourth Shinobi World War, effectively rewriting history by their mere presence alone. And when word spreads about the time traveling Shinobi and Kunoichi, more than one sinister organization sets their sights on them, seeking to use their unique abilities, their knowledge of events yet to come, or both to further their own nefarious agendas, and neither Boruto nor Sarada have a means of leverage to keep all of them at bay.Will our time travelling ninja duo bring forth a better tomorrow through their knowledge of events to come? Or will the world be doomed because of their meddling with history?
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Neji/Original Female Character(s), Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Rock Lee/Tenten, Sai/Yamanaka Ino, Uchiha Sarada/Uzumaki Boruto
Comments: 9
Kudos: 55





	1. A Homecoming Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, prospective readers! And welcome to my Naruto project! You see, I wrote this thing over on fanfiction a long time ago, and well, I decided to upload it here. Well, apart from that, I don't have much to say other than let us start the game!

_Chapter One_

_A Homecoming Surprise_

A shimmering blackish purple vortex appeared in a back alley of Konoha, the Village Hidden in The Leaves. Through it emerged two people. One was a tall young man of around sixteen clad in a black and red jacket, a black cloak, loose black pants held up by a tan belt, a black Shinobi headband with two intersecting scratches, and brown Shinobi sandals. He had blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and a large scar on the right side of his face. A sword rested in a scabbard strapped to his back. This was Boruto Uzumaki, son of the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, and Hinata Uzumaki, eldest child of the main branch of the Hyuga Family.

The second person was a young woman around Boruto’s age with shoulder-length black hair and maroon rimmed glasses. She wore a red sleeveless jacket that exposed her midriff and had the mark of the Uchiha Clan on the back, black fingerless gloves, a red skirt with white shorts underneath, black Shinobi sandals, and a red Konoha headband. An Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan was visible in her right eye, while a greyish dojutsu with tomoe known as the Rinnegan was visible from her left eye, and two katanas in their scabbards were strapped to her back. This was Sarada Uchiha, the only daughter of Sasuke Uchiha and his wife, Sakura Uchiha.

“Well, we’ve arrived,” said Boruto, tugging his cloak tighter over himself as he and Sarada stepped out of the alleyway. “Now, let’s get to that crash site and end Kawaki before he-”

Both Boruto and Sarada stopped dead in their tracks as they quickly realized that something was very, very wrong with Konoha. Gone were the jumbotrons, airships, and Thunder Rail they’d grown up knowing, along with the various buildings and skyscrapers. A look at the Hokage Rock revealed a grand total of five faces carved into the statue, as opposed to the seven that had once been there.

“Uh, Boruto? I don’t think we ended up at the point in time we wanted to,” said Sarada, turning beet red and rubbing the back of her neck. “Guess my control over my father’s time-space jutsu isn’t as great as I thought it was.”

Boruto growled in anger and delivered a Gentle Fist strike to a nearby wall, cracking the part of it his hand struck. “Dammit! We’ve arrived too soon!” he snarled in frustration.

“Boruto, calm down!” said Sarada, a look of concern for her lover crossing her face.

“Calm down?! We came this close to saving our village, our families, Hell, even the Shinobi’s way of life, only to end up decades away from where we meant to! And on top of that, who knows how or if we can get back without going forward or back even more than we already have! How am I supposed to calm down?!” yelled Boruto, an anguished look crossing his face. A moment passed before he saw the hurt look on his girlfriend’s face. “Look, Sarada, I’m sorry… I just… I really want to see my family made whole again. _I_ want to be made whole again.”

Sarada embraced Boruto, who stroked her hair gently. “I know, Boruto… I know. I want to see my Mom and Papa again, and see our friends alive and well. I want to save the Shinobi as much as you do,” said Sarada, trying to comfort her boyfriend. “But, maybe we can still do some good as long as we’re stuck in this time period.”

“How so?” asked Boruto.

“Well, if there’s only five faces on the Hokage Rock, then maybe Lady Tsunade is in office as the Hokage. We can tell her about ROOT, and Akatsuki's plans. We can prevent the Fourth Shinobi World War!” said Sarada.

Boruto thought it over for a moment. “No, preventing the war is too risky. Too many lives were lost there, and we could risk causing a much bigger problem, or worse, make it so that Kaguya wins. But, if we time it right, we could stop-”

Boruto stopped talking for a moment and looked just in time to see a familiar figure walk directly pass him in the distance, alongside an old guy that seemed to resemble some sort of sage. Boruto had a sneaking suspicion as to their identities, and as such, felt a genuine smile cross over his face for what felt like the first time in forever. He’d know the silhouette of his father anywhere. Looking over at Sarada, he saw that she was beaming too, having recognized the silhouette of her hero and role model. The same thought ran through their minds.

“You sure about this, Boruto?” asked Sarada.

“Hey, odds are they’re gonna find out about us sooner or later. Might as well be sooner,” said Boruto, before he took off in the direction of the figure. Smiling, Sarada followed close behind him.

_A Short While Later…_

Naruto Uzumaki, who was a young man of around sixteen with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes, clad in a black and orange jacket, orange pants, black shinobi sandals, and a black Konoha headband, walked alongside his teacher, Jiraiya, who had bushy white hair and wore a green and black robe, green pants, and red sandals.

“It’s been about two-and-a-half years…” said Naruto.

Jiraiya smiled down at his student and Godson. “So it has,” he replied.

Naruto looked around as he continued his journey. _The village hasn’t changed one bit…_ he thought. Spotting a random pole, Naruto set down his bag and proceeded to run directly up it, causing Jiraiya to chuckle.

“Always rambunctious,” he said.

Once he reached the top of the pole, Naruto let out a laugh. “Now, this takes me back! I’m home, everyone! Naruto Uzumaki… has returned to the Hidden Leaf Village!” the young ninja bellowed as he struck a pose. “Man, I’m feeling so nostalgic now. Mmm-hmm.”

Taking a closer look at the Hokage Rock, Naruto noticed there was something different about it. “They added Grandma Tsunade’s face up there!” he exclaimed.

Naruto took a few moments to gaze out around him. _Guess it’s true what they say. There’s no place like home,_ he thought.

“Naruto! Naruto! Is that you?”

Naruto pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked down towards the ground. There, smiling up at him, was a young woman around his age with pink hair, a red sleeveless jacket, a pink skirt, black shorts, blue Shinobi sandals, a shuriken holster on her right leg, and a blue Konoha headband. This was Sakura Haruno. Around her were three children, one of whom Naruto recognized as his former apprentice, Konohamaru.

“When did you get back to the village, Naruto?” called Sakura.

“Oh, just now!” called Naruto as he jumped off the pole and landed smoothly on his feet, a fall that would’ve shattered every bone in the legs of someone who wasn’t a ninja. “Long time, no see, huh Sakura?” Naruto said, chuckling a little.

Sakura made a small noise. A moment later, the Kunoichi realized something. “Hey, you’ve gotten taller than me, haven’t you?”

Naruto compared his height to Sakura’s, and saw that he had indeed gained a few inches over her. “Yeah, I guess I have,” he said.

Sakura gave Naruto a gentle smile. _He seems more grown up than the last time I saw him,_ thought Sakura, blushing. “So, uh… what do you think? Do I seem more like a woman to you now?”

“What?! Are you kidding? You haven’t changed at all!” said Naruto, beaming as he gave Sakura the thumbs-up.

Sakura’s face grew a hurt look on it. Her mouth twitched a couple of times before she turned away from Naruto, who grew a confused look on his own face. Jiraiya, meanwhile, deadpanned.

_Smooth, kid. Could you be anymore oblivious?_ the Sannin thought.

“Hey, Naruto!” called Konohamaru, earning Naruto’s attention for the first time, before he transformed in a puff of smoke, having performed the Sexy Jutsu, causing everyone nearby to go ballistic, although for totally different reasons.

Naruto, however, had a very different reaction. “Konohamaru, I’m not that scrawny kid anymore. And you shouldn’t use jutsu like that. It’s beneath you.”

This statement took Sakura completely by surprise. _Well, I’ll be… it’s not just the outside that’s different. I kinda miss the old Naruto… but you’ve turned out pretty well, haven’t you? Knowing you, I bet you have a whole slew of new jutsu to show us._ she thought.

However, what Naruto did next completely turned that thought into nothing but ashes. “I MEAN, COME ON, KONOHAMARU, IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?! GET A LOAD OF MY NEW PERVY NINJUTSU!” Naruto bellowed.

_Right, like a new Pervy Ninjutsu,_ thought Sakura before realizing what Naruto just said.

“HERE WE GO!” 

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” bellowed Sakura as she dealt Naruto a blow that sent him flying several feet away, leaving a shallow trench behind as Konohamaru and his team clung to Jiraiya for dear life as Sakura twitched with anger before approaching Naruto, lifting him out of the ground by his leg, and grabbing him by the front of his jacket.

“WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU PERVY LITTLE DOOFUS?! WE HAVEN’T SEEN EACH OTHER FOR OVER TWO YEARS AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO PULL A STUNT LIKE THAT?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW THAT MAKES ME FEEL?! DO YOU?!” bellowed Sakura while shaking a bemused Naruto violently.

_That hot, quick temper and monster strength! You’ve raised a Tsunade Junior!_ thought Jiraiya.

_Yep! Sakura hasn’t changed at all. She’s probably more vicious than ever!_ thought Naruto.

“HUH?! YOU SAY SOMETHING?!” asked Sakura.

“Word of advice: do not piss off a Kunoichi. You’ll feel it in the morning. And the morning after that. And pretty much every morning for the next few weeks.”

“What’s THAT supposed to mean?!”

Everyone present turned to look at the new arrivals, and were almost immediately thrown for a loop. What seemed to be a female version of Sasuke dressed up not dissimilarly to Sakura and wearing glasses was glaring daggers at what seemed to be a second Naruto, although one distinguishing feature was a large scar across the right side of his face, apart from his vastly different attire, which brought to mind the wandering warriors known as ronin, which were essentially the opposite of rogue ninja. The ronin were said to be skilled ninjas that wandered the continent, studying the world’s secrets and striking down evil and injustice wherever they found it.

“N-nothing,” the Naruto look alike said nervously.

“That’s what I thought,” said the female Sasuke.

“Ugh, Sakura, why’d you have to hit me so hard? I’m seeing another me over there!” said Naruto.

“No, I’m seeing him too. Did one of your Shadow Clones take on a life of its own or something?” asked Sakura.

The second Naruto laughed. “If I had a million ryo for every time I heard that…” he said. “All right, let’s cut to the chase. What I’m about to tell you may be extremely difficult to believe… you see, I’m-”

“Let me guess, you’re Naruto’s son from the future, aren’t you? And I’m assuming that young lady next to you is Sakura’s daughter?” said Jiraiya, causing nearly everyone’s present’s jaw to drop like a sack of bricks.

“What? How did you know?” asked the female time traveller.

Jiraiya gave a hearty laugh. “Apart from the fact that your friend looks almost identical to Naruto, when you’ve been around for as long as I have and seen the things I’ve seen during my travels, recognizing a pair of time travellers is second nature,” he said.

“Ooooooookkkkkkkkaaaaaayyyyy, this is going to be a lot _less_ complicated than I thought it was going to be. My name’s Boruto Neji Uzumaki. This here is Sarada Uchiha, my girlfriend,” explained Boruto, indicating Sarada, who blushed and giggled.

“Wait, did you say ‘Uchiha?’” asked Sakura.

“Yep,” replied Boruto.

“That means there’s still hope… me and Sasuke…” said Sakura, turning beet red in the face before falling to the ground, a dreamy look on her face as she muttered something that sounded like “The wedding will take place in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloom… the bridesmaids will wear lavender…”

“So… if you’re really my future kid, then who’s my wife? I mean, it wasn’t some one-night stand, was it?” asked Naruto, who was starting to regain rational thought.

“An excellent question. I’ll explain everything on our way to the Hokage’s Mansion. Now, come along. And someone pick up Aunt Sakura,” said Boruto.

Jiraiya bent over and picked up Sakura, who was still muttering incoherently about her and Sasuke Uchiha’s wedding day, and together, the group said farewell to Konohamaru and his team, and began to make their way toward the Hokage’s Mansion, Boruto explaining the situation along the way.

Well… _most_ of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes the opening chapter! Man, I really missed working on this thing. In any case, if you liked what you saw here, then be sure to kudos, bookmark, and comment, and I'll see you guys next time!


	2. The Konoha of The Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, prospective readers, and welcome back to A Future Worth Fighting For! Surprised to see a new chapter up and running so soon? Well, as I said before, this project is something I tinkered with a long time ago, so naturally, I already have Chapters Two and Three written up for you guys to enjoy.
> 
> Now, that being said, I will admit that while quite a bit of this story will consist of the Naruto: Shippuden anime with Boruto and Sarada thrown in, I do not intend on making Boruto nor Sarada mere bystanders or observers. As such, I’ve already developed several timeline alterations, some of which are caused by the temporal disruption from Boruto and Sarada being there in the first place. Now, with that out of the way, let us start the game!

_ Chapter Two _

_ The Konoha of The Past _

“So… me and Hinata, huh?” asked Naruto as he, Boruto, Jiraiya, Sarada, and a now-rationally thinking Sakura made their way through the halls of the Hokage’s Estate, towards the Hokage’s office.

“Yep,” replied Boruto. “And from what future-you told me, it’ll be one helluva fight to rescue her from those who kidnap her.”

“Huh,” said Naruto, who now found himself wondering what Hinata was doing this weekend. “So, do you have that one dojutsu, what’s it called…”

“The Byakugan? No. My baby sister Himawari has it, though. Funny story about how she awakened it, actually. You, me, Mom, and Himawari were getting ready for the inauguration of the Seventh Hokage, and Himawari wanted to bring her favorite toy panda along. But, I was worried I was going to end up carrying it, so I tried to take it from her, and I accidentally ripped its head off. Himawari got so angry, she awakened her Byakugan and wanted to knock the stuffing out of me. You tried to protect me, and Himawari knocked you out cold by landing a hit on one of your chakra points,” said Boruto, earning an embarrassed blush from his future father and hearty snickers from Jiraiya, Sakura, and Sarada at the thought of a full-grown and immensely powerful Naruto getting punched out by a toddler. “She found me later in a closet. It didn’t end very well.”

A few moments of silence passed by as the group continued through the hallways, several Shinobi giving Boruto and Sarada strange looks as they passed by before Sakura finally asked the million-ryo question.

“So… how did you and Boruto get here?” Sakura asked her future daughter.

However, any hope of an immediate response was dashed as the group arrived at their destination: Lady Tsunade’s office. Jiraiya knocked on the door a couple of times before a female voice responded.

“Come in,” it said.

Jiraiya opened the door and the group entered the Hokage’s office. Boruto couldn’t help but smile as he looked around the room, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. Hanging on a coat rack nearby was a white and red robe with a matching sun hat that had the kanji for “Fifth Fire Shadow” on the back. Above a series of drawers were the pictures of the First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Hokage. Speaking of the Fifth Hokage, she looked up from a sheaf of paperwork she had been working on to look up at the group.

“Jiraiya, Naruto, welcome back. It’s been a long time, you two,” Tsunade said to Naruto and Jiraiya. “Your training has proved fruitful, I hope.”

Jiraiya smirked. “You think we would’ve come back without producing any results?” he replied.

“Mission accomplished, Grandma,” added Naruto, giving the thumbs-up.

“Huh, I’m glad to hear it,” replied Tsunade, before turning her attention to Boruto and Sarada. “And who might you two be?”

Boruto bowed before he spoke. “My name is Boruto Uzumaki, son of Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga. This is my girlfriend, Sarada Uchiha, daughter of Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. We came here from a few decades from the future in order to make what went wrong in our own time period right once more.”

Tsunade scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Get real. Time travel only exists in bedtime stories and science fiction novels. Although, I have to admit, you  _ do _ look almost exactly like Naruto, apart from the hairstyle and the scar, and your girlfriend looks almost exactly like Sasuke Uchiha if he were a girl and needed glasses,” she said.

“An understandable assumption, which is why we’ve brought along some evidence. Thought it’d be a good idea to bring some proof along if we ever ended up in a situation like this. One of the many things my sensei taught me,” said Boruto as he pulled out an old photograph from a pocket inside his jacket while Sarada pulled out a photo from her pockets. Both ninja handed over the photos to Tsunade, who examined them very carefully.

Boruto’s picture was that of an older Naruto Uzumaki, whose right hand was covered in bandages for some reason, and an older Hinata Hyuga holding two toddlers who looked almost exactly like the parents who were holding them, although both of the children had two whisker marks on each of their cheeks. Sarada’s picture was what seemed to be an older Sasuke Uchiha, who was missing his left arm entirely, an older Sakura Haruno, and the girl before the Fifth Hokage.

“Pictures seem legitimate… but, I’ll need to take a discreet DNA test in order to make absolutely certain,” said Tsunade. “Purely for the sake of the argument, what brings the two of you to this time period? I’m sure the two of you have a very good reason for wanting to try to change history.”

Boruto and Sarada held each other's gaze for a few moments before reaching a decision. Heaving a sigh, Boruto spoke.

“We were trying to save the Hidden Leaf Village, and the Shinobi’s very way of life,” he explained, causing everyone inside the room to let out a gasp of horror. “There was this organization called Kara, led by a guy named Kawaki. They all but destroyed all five of the Great Shinobi Villages. The Seventh Hokage… he died protecting his family, as did his right hand man and my sensei. Those who survived the onslaught were scattered. Many discarded their headbands and abandoned the way of the Shinobi. But, me, Sarada-chan, and some other friends of ours did not. I faced Kawaki alone in mortal combat. If it hadn’t been for Sarada and the rest of my friends, I’d probably be dead. So, having failed the direct approach, we decided to try something of a hail mary.”

“We first met Kawaki after an airship crashed about four years before the Great Shinobi Purge. So, we tried to go back and finish off Kawaki on the day of that crash, saving untold lives, our villages, and the Shinobi’s way of life. Unfortunately, something went wrong and we ended up here. And we don’t know if it’s possible for us to get back,” explained Sarada.

Everyone in the room apart from Boruto and Sarada were doing everything they possibly could to retain their composure from the devastating thought of having the Shinobi and untold innocents wiped from the face of the Earth. Finally, Tsunade spoke.

“Okay, getting back to business,” said Tsunade, wiping her eyes. “Naruto, I have someone I’d like you to go up against. I’ve kept him off missions the last few days for just this moment. Boruto, Sarada, I’m interested in seeing what you two are capable of, so I’d like you to face this opponent as well.”

“You mean, right now?” asked Naruto while Boruto and Sarada merely nodded.

Tsunade nodded. “Your opponent will be-” she started to say before a knock on the door interrupted her. “Come in.”

The door opened to reveal two people standing there. One was a young man of around fifteen or sixteen wearing the standard Konoha Shinobi uniform with brown hair tied into a ponytail and an expression that seemed to suggest that he was perpetually bored. The second was a young woman of around the same age with blonde hair wearing a black kimono with black shinobi sandals, a Hidden Sand Village headband, a red sash tied around her waist, black fingerless gloves, and a giant fan strapped to her back.

“Hey, Shikamaru, Temari! Look what the cat dragged in!” said Sakura, pointing towards Naruto.

“Hmm?” said Shikamaru and Temari. A few moments passed by before they both recognized who she was indicating. “Is that? It is! Naruto, it’s you!” exclaimed Shikamaru.

“Hey, Shikamaru!” said Naruto, beaming.

_ Is that the same little squirt? _ thought Temari, taken aback by how tall and mature Naruto seemed to have gotten.

“Well, well! You’re back, huh?” said Shikamaru.

“Yeah, got back today!” said Naruto.

“Well, look at you! Who’d ever believe you’re the same idiotic… well, I mean to say, you’ve changed haven’t you?” said Shikamaru, causing Naruto to chuckle.

“He hasn’t changed at all,” said Sakura.

“I didn’t think so,” said Shikamaru.

Naruto groaned. “Give me a break, Sakura…” he said, causing Tsunade, her aide, and Sarada to burst out laughing, while Boruto snickered. Jiraiya, meanwhile, remained completely stoic.

Naruto perked back up again as something occurred to him. “Hey, does this mean you’re my opponent, Shikamaru?” he asked.

“Huh? Opponent? What are you talking about? I just came over here to drop off some paperwork,” said Shikamaru.

“Well, if it’s not you then…” Naruto said, looking over towards Temari, and drawing a complete blank in terms of a name. “...what’s your name again?”

“You don’t remember me?” Temari said, anger evident in her voice.

“Naruto! You won’t find your opponent in here,” said Tsunade, pointing out the window. “He’s out there.”

Naruto walked over to the window and opened it, looking around for his opponent, only to hear his voice nearby.

“So, Naruto… you went and got all grown up. And, if what I heard is correct and the absolute truth, you brought a couple of very interesting friends back with you.”

Naruto looked to his immediate left and found a very familiar face reading a book. It was a Shinobi with white hair wearing the standard Konoha Shinobi uniform with his Konoha headband covering his left eye, concealing a Sharingan underneath.

Naruto beamed at the man before jumping onto the roof. “Kakashi-Sensei!” he exclaimed.

“Hello, Naruto. It’s been a while,” said Kakashi.

Naruto smirked. “Well, you haven’t changed a bit, sensei!” he said before remembering something. “Oh, wait a sec. Hang on, I got something for ya, sensei,” Naruto continued as he rummaged around in the bag on his back. “A little present!”

Sakura and Tsunade smiled as they looked out the window at the two Shinobi. “Just like old times, huh?” said Tsunade.

“Yeah,” said Sakura as Naruto pulled a book out of his bag. Upon seeing the title on the cover, Kakashi’s usual perpetually bored demeanor took a backseat as a personality befitting a fangirl took its place.

“NO WAY!” exclaimed Kakashi as he shivered in wide eyed shock and excitement as lightning flashed behind him for some unknown reason. “Is that- is that really…?”

“The first new issue of the Make-Out Series in three years,” said Naruto as he handed the book to Kakashi. “Pretty boring if you ask me, but I know you like this stuff, so…”

Inside, Jiraiya scoffed and turned away.  _ Little idiot! I guess you can’t expect a kid to understand great literature! People would kill for a copy! It hasn’t even been released yet, _ he thought.

Shivering and giggling with excitement, Kakashi slowly began to open the book. Until, that is, Lady Tsunade spoke.

“Calm down! This is no time to be fooling around, Kakashi.”

_ Killjoy, _ thought Kakashi before he closed the book and stood up.

“So, I guess… does this mean you’re my opponent?” asked Naruto.

“Well, you’re a fourth right. As I’m sure you know, I’ll not only be facing you, but your lookalike and that Sasuke-looking girl over there from the sound of it-” 

“Our names are Sarada and Boruto,” said Sarada.

Kakashi deadpanned. “Sarada. Sasuke and Sakura named you after salad. Wow,” he said in a slightly amused voice.

“Well actually, while my first name does indeed translate to salad, if you add the first letter of my last name, Uchiha, it actually translates to lighting oil,” said Sarada.

“Well, now that makes sense. So, as to who my opponents will be…” said Kakashi as Jiraiya smirked. “It’ll be Naruto, Sakura, Boruto, and Sarada. All four of you.”

Naruto and Sakura both let out gasps of surprise while Boruto smirked at the thought of such a challenge. Sarada, meanwhile, merely gave a determined nod.

“All four of us at once?” said Naruto.

“That’s correct. Kakashi will put the four of you to the test. How well you do will determine your future status. That goes for all four of you,” explained Tsunade.

“Their future status…” said Shikamaru as something came to mind.

“In Boruto and Sarada’s case, I’m interested in seeing what our village’s next generation is capable of, so I hope you won’t disappoint,” said Tsunade.

“Heh, I never disappoint,” said Boruto, flashing a cocky smirk as Sarada rolled her eyes.

“As for you, Sakura, it’s time to show that your training with me wasn’t a waste of time.”

“Right,” said Sakura, nodding.

“So, shall we get started?” asked Kakashi.

Naruto, Sakura, Boruto, and Sarada made noises of interest and looked toward Kakashi.

“You know what, you’re right, Naruto, you just got back. I’m sure traveling back decades in time must be absolutely exhausting. You all must be tired, we’ll give you three a chance to rest first,” said Kakashi.

“I’m not tired, I’m ready to rock and roll,” said Boruto as the other two ninja nodded in agreement.

“No, you take it easy. I’ll meet you all later at the training grounds. So long,” said Kakashi before he vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Well, that’s odd,” said Sarada. “He seemed like he was in a pretty big hurry.”

“Yep, and I think I know exactly why,” said Boruto. “He’s itching to read that book.”

“Huh?” said Naruto.

“That explains it. That gleam in his eye,” said Sakura.

_ Of course he wants to read it. Who in their right minds wouldn’t want to read my book before anyone else does? _ thought Jiraiya, smiling and nodding.

_ A Short While Later… _

“Kakashi-Sensei… I’m sorry I ever gave him that book,” muttered Naruto as he, Boruto, Sarada, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Temari walked down the street. Sarada and Boruto had bandages wrapped around their left hands, having had their blood taken for DNA testing. “That stupid book is more important to him than our training.”

“Not accounting for taste,” said Sakura. “Oh, well, at least now we’ll have time to talk strategy.”

As Sakura and Sarada walked ahead and began to talk about a plan, Boruto and his future father backed up to talk to Shikamaru and Temari.

“So, are you two going out, or what?” asked Naruto.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Are you kidding? Not even close, idiot,” he said, earning a chortle from Boruto.

Temari scoffed. “You’ve got to be joking, like I would ever even…” she said, earning a full-fledged laugh from Boruto.

“All right, future boy, what’re you laughing about?” asked Shikamaru.

“It’s funny, because in my time, you two have a son together named Shikadai. Oh, he says hi by the way,” said Boruto, a smirk on his face.

Shikamaru and Temari’s jaws dropped in utter shock as they looked at one another, a blush suddenly forming on each of their faces.

“Well, whatever happens in the future, this time I’m just here for the Chunin Exams. I’ve been busy running back and forth between your village and mine getting ready for them,” explained Temari.

“Yeah, that’s right, and I’m her escort. It’s a drag, and don’t ask how it happened, but I’ve been put in charge of organizing the Chunin Exams,” said Shikamaru.

“The Chunin Exams, huh?” said Naruto, a nostalgic look crossing not only his, but his future son’s face as well. “Man, that takes me back…”

“Same here…” said Boruto, looking down at his right hand.

“Speaking of which, what are you gonna do, Naruto?” asked Shikamaru.

“Huh? What do you mean?” asked Naruto.

“What do you think? About the Chunin Exams. You’re the only one in our year who isn’t a Chunin. Everyone is but you,” said Shikamaru.

Naruto stood frozen in shock for a few moments before he let out a scream before turning to Sakura. “Sakura, you’ve been made a Chunin?” asked Naruto.

“Mmm-hmm,” replied Sakura, holding up a peace sign.

“Oh, you haven’t even heard the half of it. Kankuro, Neji, and Temari here, they’ve all been made Jonin,” said Shikamaru.

As Naruto began to hyperventilate, Boruto couldn’t help but chuckle. “Calm down, Naruto. If you have an aneurysm, we’ll both be in trouble,” he said.

Something clicked inside Naruto’s head. “What about Gaara? What’s he?”

Shikamaru and Temari both took a sharp intake of breath. “He’s… become the Kazekage,” said Shikamaru.

This news rocked Naruto to his core as a look of blatant shock crossed his face. After a few moments, Naruto finally found the words to speak. “I… I see… so, Gaara's been named Kazekage… that’s great… but, I’m not about to be outdone by him,” said Naruto, looking up towards Hokage Rock before pointing at an empty space on it. “I’m still gonna become Hokage one day! Just you wait, Gaara!”

As Naruto recited his dream, Sakura and Boruto gazed on at him, the latter having tears in his eyes. 

_ Yeah, Lord Seventh. Hold onto that dream and never, ever let it go. Just… make time for your family once in a while, will you? The village may be your family, but… don’t forget about your real family, your flesh and blood… my blood,  _ thought Boruto as he began crying.  _ So much was left unsaid between us before you died at Kawaki’s hands… so much… _

Sakura looked over at Boruto and saw what was going on. “Boruto, are you okay?” she asked the time traveler.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just… dirt in my eye,” said Boruto as he turned away.

_ A Short While Later, At The Training Grounds… _

Naruto paced back and forth while Sakura and Sarada leaned up against a chain link fence. Boruto, meanwhile, was meditating. They had shown up at the time Kakashi had asked them to meet at the training grounds, but as per the norm, Kakashi was running late.  _ Very _ late. 

“Oh, come on!” yelled Naruto. “Is Kakashi-Sensei gonna keep us waiting here like this forever?” yelled Naruto.

“Well, he’s always been like this,” said Sakura.

“Doesn’t get any better in our time either,” said Sarada.

Naruto and Sakura chuckled before a puff of smoke sounded, causing Boruto to open his eyes and stand up to join the others.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I, uh, ran into this poor old lady who needed help carrying some-” said Kakashi before a combined shout from his opponents cut him off.

“WOULD YOU GIVE US A BREAK?!”

Kakashi chuckled and jumped off the fence. The four ninja followed Kakashi into the training grounds, where three large logs were positioned.

“Man, does this bring back memories,” said Naruto as he recalled his first training exercise as one of Kakashi’s students.

_ “Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me. If you can’t get them by noon, you go without lunch. You’ll be tied to those posts and you’ll watch as I eat my lunch in front of you.” _

As Sakura and Naruto gazed upon the posts, Kakashi recalled something. “Oh, that’s right. This was the site of your very first training lesson, wasn’t it?” he said. 

Sakura nodded sadly. “It was Squad 7,” she said.

Naruto started looking downcast as well. “The three of us together…” he said.

“That’s right… we had Sasuke with us back then, didn’t we…” said Kakashi.

At the mention of Sasuke’s name, Sakura remembered the night Sasuke had left the village, and the last time she had seen him.

_ “DON’T LEAVE ME!” the young Sakura wailed as she took off after Sasuke. “If you go, I’ll scream!” _

_ Faster than blinking, Sasuke vanished from in front of Sakura and appeared directly behind her. _

_ “Sasuke…” whimpered Sakura… _

_ Sasuke uttered the last words Sakura Haruno had heard her one true love speak before he rendered her unconscious. _

_ “Sakura… thank you for everything…” _

Naruto, meanwhile, recalled the battle he and Sasuke had had before he had left for training with Jiraiya…

_ Naruto was gasping for breath. He had just caught up with Sasuke after spotting him. “SASUKE!” Naruto bellowed. _

_ Sasuke stopped in his tracks and turned to face Naruto, who gasped in horror at the sight of half of his best friend’s face enshrouded with markings, and his left eye turned black and yellow. _

_ “So, it’s you… hopeless little knucklehead,” said Sasuke. _

Kakashi, who had been talking to Boruto and Sarada while Naruto and Sakura reminisced looked over at the two ninja, and found them on the ground, engulfed in a cloud of depression.

“Sasuke…” said Sakura and Naruto.

_ I guess Sasuke’s name is taboo to these guys, _ thought Kakashi he pulled out a couple of bells, snapping Naruto and Sakura out of their depression.

“All right, show me how far you’ve come and what you’re made of. After all, if Sarada here is any proof, you haven’t given up on your Sasuke, have you?”

“Not a chance,” said Sakura as she and Naruto pulled themselves up off the ground while Boruto drew his sword and took a starting stance, while Sarada did the same with both of her swords.

“What do you think I put myself through all this training for?” asked Naruto.

“What’s the game?” asked Boruto.

Kakashi couldn’t help but smile. “The rules are the same as they were that first day. I don’t care how you do, just get these bells away from me. And remember-”

“‘If we’re not prepared to kill ya-’” said Naruto.

“‘-we won’t get the bells.’ We know,” said Sakura.

Kakashi chuckled. “Exactly. Show no mercy if you ever hope to attain these bells. You have until sunrise tomorrow.”

While Naruto tightened his headband and Sakura put on a pair of black fingerless gloves, Boruto closed his right eye, the eye with a scar, and made a hand sign while Sarada closed both her eyes.

Kakashi closed his book and put it inside his flak jacket. “Okay, shall we get started?” he said.

“You gonna be reading that book the whole time, Kakashi-Sensei?” asked Naruto.

“No, he won’t. I bet he already finished it,” said Sakura.

“Not quite, but I’m gonna save that little pleasure for later. Besides, I get the feeling I’d better keep on my toes,” said Kakashi as he reached up and removed his headband from his Sharingan eye. “It’s a whole new ball game.”

“You got that right, old-timer,” said Boruto as he opened his right eye, revealing it to have turned black and white as a wave of blue energy crossed over the right side of his body, covering that side of his body in blue markings. Sarada opened her eyes to reveal that her right eye was seemingly a Sharingan with strange, almost artistic designs, while her left eye had turned purple and was dotted with tomoe.

“So, let’s play ball!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes the second chapter! As per usual, if you liked what you saw here, then be sure to kudos, bookmark, and comment, and join us next time to witness the power of the next generation!


	3. The Power of The Next Generation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, prospective readers! Welcome back to A Future Worth Fighting For! Last chapter did pretty good and that’s all the more reason to keep this gravy train a-rolling! Also, fair warning, there won’t be any Rinnegan-Mangekyou Sharingan action in this chapter, as then the chapter would become ridiculously short, given that Sarada has both an Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and her father’s Rinnegan, she’d bowl over Kakashi no problem. With that being said, we’ve no time to waste, so let us start the game!

_ Chapter Three: _

_ The Power of The Next Generation _

Several minutes passed by in silence as the four teenage Shinobi stared down their opponent, each of them waiting for someone to make the first move.

Meanwhile, in the trees nearby, Lady Tsunade, her aide Shizune, and Jiraiya were discussing the two time traveling Shinobi and their apparently unique talents.

“Those blue markings on the boy have to be from some sort of curse mark, but I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Shizune said.

“Nor have I. What I’m more concerned about is that dojutsu in his right eye. It seems to resemble the Byakugan, and yet there’s something off about it at the same time,” said Tsunade.

“I for one wonder where that girl picked up that Rinnegan… if teaching Nagato Uzumaki has taught me anything, it’s that those who possess the Rinnegan are not to be taken lightly in the slightest,” said Jiraiya.

Back on the training field, Naruto had grown sick of standing around waiting and decided to make the first move. “Let’s go!” he yelled, throwing a few shuriken at Kakashi, who ducked under the projectiles and threw a few of his own, which Naruto leapt over, only to be trapped in midair when Kakashi threw a second set at him.

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” said Naruto as he made a hand sign, causing a second Naruto to spring into existence in a puff of smoke and pull the original out of the way of the projectiles.

“Impressive,” said Kakashi.

_ Nice! He was trapped in midair, so he used his Shadow Clone jutsu to pull himself out of the way, _ thought Sakura.

As they landed, Naruto made another hand sign and cried, “Transform,” causing his Shadow Clone to transform into an oversized shuriken, which he was about to launch at Kakashi, only for Kakashi to restrain him.

“That’ll be enough of that,” said Kakashi.  _ He’s growing up right before my eyes, _ the Jonin thought before he sensed something behind him, which turned out to be the original Naruto holding a kunai at his back, a feat that earned praise from the older ninja watching from the woods.  _ Not only that, but his timing with the Shadow Clone has improved as well. _

“You’ve matured, haven’t you, Naruto?” Kakashi said aloud. “But, you still have a ways to go, it’s obvious you’re still as impatient as ever. You attacked before I even had a chance to say start. And while we’re on the topic, Sarada, I think that Rinnegan and Mangekyou Sharingan of yours might be a tad bit overkill, even if you need to be prepared to kill me. Remember, you’re just trying to get the bells, not wipe out a platoon of enemy ninja.”

“Rinnegan?” asked Sakura and Naruto, confused.

Sarada, meanwhile, nodded and deactivated her Rinnegan and Mangekyou Sharingan, causing them to revert to what seemed to be normal Sharingan.

“Now, then, let’s do this properly,” said Kakashi. “Ready… start!”

Before anyone could do much of anything, Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke, taking everyone present by surprise.

“Aw, come on! I can’t believe I let him trick me again!” said Naruto.

Sakura growled in frustration. “You big dummy!” she spat to Naruto.

“Relax, Sakura. I know exactly where he went,” said Boruto. “Kakashi is directly below us.”

Sakura and Naruto gave surprised gasps at this information. “How do you know?” asked Sakura.

“Yeah, and what’s going on with your eye? I thought you said you didn’t have the Byakugan,” said Naruto.

“I don’t,” said Boruto. “The dojutsu in my right eye is called the Jogan, and I am its only living and known master. Think of it as a mutated Byakugan, in that it shares many of its abilities, but has several unique to it. One such power is the ability to track a target through their chakra. I’ve had old man Kakashi tagged ever since I activated it, and right now, it says Kakashi’s burrowed himself underground.”

Sakura nodded to show that she understood. “Let’s hope you’re right!” she said, before delivering a mighty punch to the ground, shattering the earth within a ten-foot radius of her fist, knocking an utterly stunned Naruto off his feet while Boruto and Sarada merely used their chakra to maintain their footing as the dust cleared, revealing a stunned Kakashi underneath.

_ What ridiculous strength! _ thought Kakashi.

“Yes! Nicely done!” said Tsunade from the background.

_ So… looks like the Fifth Hokage has been teaching her more than just medical ninjutsu… _ thought Kakashi.

Meanwhile, as he witnessed the devastation unfold from his perch in the treetops, Jiraiya muttered, “The same quick temper and monster strength… Tsunade’s turned Sakura into a mirror image of herself…”

“Told you he was under there,” said Boruto. “The Seventh Hokage actually offered me a spot in the Anbu Black Ops because of my Jogan, but then… there wasn’t any Anbu to join.”

As Naruto pulled himself to his feet, he thought to himself,  _ I really gotta stop acting like such an idiot around Sakura. If I don’t… she’s gonna kill me. _

_ She infuses her chakra together, focuses into her fist, then releases it all at once. Something like that requires extremely precise chakra control, _ thought Kakashi as he leapt onto one of the newly made platforms to get a better idea of the destruction Sakura had wrought and faced his opponents.  _ Medical ninjutsu combined with monster strength… no, it’s more than that… after all, she’s more of a genjutsu type… she just might become a better kunoichi than the Fifth Hokage, _ thought Kakashi before casting a glance at Sarada.  _ I wonder… does she have just as precise control over her chakra? Wouldn’t surprise me if she did… that level of control combined with the power of the Uchiha Clan… Boruto’s got a lot of nerve to even talk to someone like that, let alone date her… but you’ve had your shot. Now, it’s my turn. _

Kakashi then took off running as fast as he could into the forest, his opponents hot on his heels. As the sky turned a deep shade of crimson, Kakashi took refuge in a nearby bush before using his Sharingan to locate them.

_ There he is… _ thought Kakashi as his Sharingan focused on Naruto.  _ The first thing a Shinobi must learn is to conceal his presence and remain hidden. _

Kakashi’s Sharingan then focused on Boruto, Sarada, and Sakura in turn.

_ This is completely different from that time before… and not just because of Sarada and Boruto... _

Kakashi was so absorbed in his recollections that he didn’t see a trio of lightning-infused shuriken thrown at him by Boruto until the last possible second.

“Oops!” said Kakashi as he avoided the attack just in the nick of time.

Boruto launched himself towards Kakashi as the latter rebounded off the branch of a nearby tree. Boruto’s sword clashed with a kunai knife held by Kakashi as the two of them flew past each other. Boruto grabbed a tree branch and flipped himself onto it before landing smoothly on the ground as Sakura and Sarada joined him.

“Time for today’s lesson. This is Shinobi Battle Skills Rule Number One: taijutsu,” said Kakashi before he charged at Boruto, who swiftly avoided Kakashi’s attacks and leapt up into a nearby tree.

“Gotcha!” cried Sarada and Sakura as they moved in on Kakashi, who swiftly avoided their attempts to strike him with their chakra-enhanced strength.

“Just need one shot…” growled Sarada.

“Won’t do any good if you can’t hit me,” replied Kakashi as he continued to avoid their attacks, before one of Sarada’s punches landed smashed a hole through the tree Kakashi had been backed into, knocking it down. “Whew… that was a close one.”

Boruto growled as he made a hand sign of his own. “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he cried as eight additional Boruto’s sprang into existence before one of them leapt into the air while the original Boruto made another hand sign. “Wind Style: Gale Palm Jutsu!”

“Huh?” said Kakashi as the Boruto clones came flying at him, shouting “Boruto Strike!” 

_ Incredible… his prowess with the Shadow Clones rivals Naruto’s! But this is so much more intricate compared to Naruto’s usual one-ninja army pounce tactics… _ thought Kakashi before the first clone landed a solid shot on his head, followed swiftly by the second. Unfortunately, that was when that tactic was brought to a screeching halt as Kakashi managed to block and fight off two of the remaining clones before one of them dove at Kakashi.

“Gimme those bells!” the clone yelled before Kakashi grabbed it and threw it into a tree before taking off into the treetops.

“GET BACK HERE!” the remaining Boruto clones yelled as they took off after Kakashi… only for Kakashi to appear directly behind them.

“Dancing Leaf Shadow?!” said one of the clones as what appeared to be bandages appeared and wrapped themselves around the clones before Kakashi began diving downwards with them, spinning like a top. “That’s the jutsu Metal Lee’s dad uses!”

“It’s Kakashi-Sensei’s Copy Ninjutsu!” cried Sakura.

With a large crash, Kakashi drove the Shadow Clones into the ground. Pulling himself up, Kakashi said, “Now, where’d Naruto run off to…?”

“Right over here!” said Naruto as he appeared from a bush directly behind Kakashi and started running towards him at breakneck speeds, his hands in an all-too-familiar pose. “Leaf Village Hidden Finger Jutsu!” cried Naruto.

Kakashi’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh no!” he cried.

“A Thousand Years of Death!”

As Naruto drew closer, Kakashi leapt into the air in a panic and backflipped over Naruto, who growled in frustration.

“Darn it! I thought I had him for sure that time!” said Naruto as Kakashi landed on the ground and let out a sigh of relief.

“I thought that was the end for me… in more ways than one,” he said.

Kakashi only had a moment’s rest however, before Sarada launched a flying kick at him. Kakashi barely got out of the way in time before the kick crashed through the tree that was directly behind him. Boruto, Naruto, and Sakura joined her as the tree toppled.

Kakashi gasped and panted, almost completely out of breath.  _ I remember when this was a lot easier, and before those two from the future showed up… _ thought Kakashi as he recalled the first time he had gone up against Sakura and Naruto, and had walked all over them.  _ Even though Sakura and Naruto have been apart for over two years, and despite the fact that Boruto and Sarada don’t even exist yet… their teamwork is pretty good, _ thought Kakashi as his thoughts drifted back to the book in his bag.  _ Although, I was hoping to find out how this next volume ends… _

“All right! Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!” said Naruto as he made a hand sign, causing a small army of Naruto duplicates to appear out of thin air.

_ The sheer number of his clones always amazes me, even if he used them to do things he should’ve done in person, _ thought Boruto, thinking back to the days when his father was Lord Hokage, and that incident during Himawari’s birthday, among other things.

“All right, guys! Let’s get him!” cried one of the clones before they charged at Kakashi as a mob. Despite the overwhelming numbers of Naruto’s clones, Kakashi was able to hold his own against them, and plowed through them like they were nothing.

Sarada and Sakura, meanwhile, used their chakra-enhanced strength to shatter the ground beneath Kakashi’s feet, forcing the Copy Ninja to jump out of the way and onto a stabilized patch of dirt.

_ What a pain. Looks like I won’t have time for reading, _ thought Kakashi.

Meanwhile, from his perch, Jiraiya couldn’t help but smile. “This is starting to get interesting!” he said.

“They’re doing pretty good. Better than I thought they would be,” said Shizune.

Lady Hokage smiled. “Just you wait. I have a feeling we haven’t seen anything yet,” she said.

_ Now, then… what should I do next? _ thought Kakashi before he took off into the forest, Boruto, Sakura, Sarada, and Naruto hot on his heels.

_ Two Hours Later… _

“Last time I heard the bells, they were coming from this direction. I’m sure of it,” said Naruto as he, Boruto, Sakura, and Sarada made their way through the forest as the moon rose high into the night sky.

“He might’ve let us hear them on purpose, so stay on your toes,” said Boruto.

“That’s right. We can’t forget who we’re dealing with,” said Naruto.

As the quartet ventured deeper into the forest, they caught sight of a silhouette, using a nearby tree as a support. As the group drew closer, they immediately recognized the figure.

“Sasuke,” said Naruto.

“He looks hurt,” said Sakura.

“Naruto… Sakura…” gasped Sasuke in pain. “You gotta help me… I got away from Orochimaru… I managed to escape… Naruto… Sakura... please....”

All four teenagers grew a sad look on their faces. “Too bad he’s not real. I’d give almost anything to be able to talk with Sasuke for a while,” said Sakura before she made a hand sign. “Release!”

The illusion of Sasuke Uchiha flickered and faded away, leaving nothing behind.

“We don’t want to play with your illusions, Kakashi. Boruto, Kakashi’s behind that tree there,” said Sarada, pointing to the tree she was talking about.

_ Darn it! _ thought Kakashi.

“Got it. There’s a little something I’ve got up my sleeve that I’ve been waiting to use,” said Boruto as wind swirled around in his hand, creating an orb that Naruto knew very well.

_ That’s a Rasengan… but, there’s something funny about it, _ thought Naruto.

“Ready… GO!” yelled Boruto as he threw his Rasengan towards Kakashi, only for it to disappear halfway to its mark, confusing everyone present.

“Uh… Boruto? I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to throw the Rasengan-” said Naruto, mere seconds before the tree Kakashi was hiding behind broke apart and sent Kakashi flying a good ten feet away.

“Ugh… what was that?” said Kakashi as he pulled himself off the ground.

“That was a little specialty of mine: the Vanishing Rasengan. You see, whenever I throw my Rasengan, it undergoes a sudden nature change and disappears, getting my enemies to drop their guard before whamo! Three-point shot!” explained Boruto.

“Well, Kakashi-Sensei?” said Sakura as he approached the battered Jonin. “Was there something you wanted to say? I’m not sure I heard you correctly.”

Kakashi heaved a sigh. “Shinobi Battle Skills Part 2: Genjutsu,” he said, recalling how easily he had fooled Sakura back during their first training mission.

“You’ll have to come up with something better than that. If you think we’re stupid enough to fall for that old trick, you’re crazy,” said Sakura.

“Yeah, we wouldn’t be that stupid,” said Naruto.

“Really? I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” said Kakashi, looking towards the ground.

Following his gaze, the group noticed that the bells they were supposed to acquire were lying on the ground.

“Hey, check it out! The bells slipped off his belt!” said Naruto as he started forward to pick up the bells.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said Boruto as Naruto reached for the bells.

“They’re mine!” said Naruto as he bent over to pick them up, only to be caught in a trap and hoisted by his ankle.

“You see? You still fall for the same old tricks,” said Kakashi with a smirk.

A moment later, the Naruto that was hoisted by his ankle disappeared in a puff of smoke, catching Kakashi off guard.

“There’s no way I’d fall for a lame old trap like that!” said Naruto as he threw a punch at Kakashi, who quickly performed a substitution jutsu to evade the attack. “Darn it!” growled Naruto.

“Why don’t you ever listen to me, you idiot?!” yelled Sakura.

Meanwhile, Kakashi watched the scene below him with a smirk on his face. 

_ So, the same old tricks won’t work on you, huh? _ thought Kakashi before he threw a handful of kunai knives at Naruto, who heard them coming and dodged out of the way.

“So, he’s over there!” said Boruto before throwing a handful of his own kunai knives, which Kakashi avoided by leaping out of the treetops.

Sakura ran up to Kakashi and tried to punch him in the face, only for Kakashi to catch the punch and restrain her. Almost immediately, Kakashi realized there was something off about Sakura.

“Huh? What the-?” said Kakashi before he kneed “Sakura” in the back, causing her to vanish in a puff of smoke.  _ Naruto’s Shadow Clone AND Transformation, _ thought Kakashi before he looked up to see both the real Sakura and Sarada hurling towards him, chakra visible on their fists.  _ If those even touch me, I’m done for! _ thought Kakashi before dodging out of the way, barely avoiding the devastating blows that uprooted trees and shattered the earth for several meters around.

Kakashi meanwhile took the opportunity to escape the forest and head out to a nearby river area, Boruto, Naruto, Sarada, and Sakura hot on his heels. Once the four ninja caught up with their adversary, they spent a few moments staring each other down, waiting for someone to make the next move.

“All right, then. Shinobi Battle Skills Rule Number Three: ninjutsu,” said Kakashi before he slid backwards and made a series of hand signs faster than blinking. 

_ The speed of his hand signs… _ thought Sakura.

_ Nobody’s that fast! _ thought Naruto.

Boruto, meanwhile, just flashed his teammates a cocky smirk and stepped forward, his right arm, the one with the markings, raised ever so slightly.

“Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!” cried Kakashi before he unleashed a massive fireball that barreled towards the assembled ninja. Boruto, meanwhile, simply raised his right hand. Much to the surprise and shock of everyone present, the fireball was somehow absorbed into Boruto’s hand, the blue markings flashing with energy as the last traces of the fireball were absorbed.

“Thanks for the top-off. I was feeling a little low on chakra,” said Boruto as he pulled back the right sleeve of his jacket, revealing the full curse mark. “Kama. A parting gift from Momoshiki Otsutsuki, someone who you won’t have to worry about for a few decades. Allows me to absorb ninjutsu, but that’s the boring part. The fun stuff is what I can do with ninjutsu once I’ve got it: either top off my own chakra supplies, or this!”

Boruto then proceeded to launch the recently absorbed fireball right back at Kakashi, who dodged out of the way just in the nick of time.

“Well, you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” said Kakashi.

Boruto smirked. “You could say that. Speaking of surprises, perhaps you recall this little trick?” he said before performing a series of hand signs that everyone present immediately recognized, Kakashi having invented that very technique, which he had then taught to Sasuke Uchiha just prior to his defection.

_ But, how? He would need a Sharingan in order to do it properly. Unless… _ thought Kakashi, catching sight of the Jogan in Boruto’s right eye.  _ What kind of dojutsu is that? It looks like the Byakugan, but there’s something off about it… _

As Boruto finished making his hand signs, a small, crackling ball of lightning that made a sound like chirping birds appeared in his hand before he started running at breakneck speeds towards Kakashi, yelling, “CHIDORI! ONE THOUSAND BIRDS!”

Kakashi waited until the last possible moment before diving out of the way of the attack, vanishing in a puff of smoke and causing Boruto to shatter a nearby rock.

Naruto, who began feeling an immense amount of pride in how powerful his future son would become, looked around for any sign of Kakashi. “Okay, now where is he?” Naruto asked himself before something grabbed his leg, causing him to look down to see Kakashi grabbing his leg.

“Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!” said Kakashi, trapping Naruto in the ground to the point where only his head was exposed, right before “Naruto” vanished in a puff of smoke.

_ Another Shadow Clone… _ thought Kakashi before he sensed oncoming presences and turned to find that Boruto, Sarada, Naruto, and Sakura were coming right at him. Performing another series of rapid fire hand signs, Kakashi leapt backwards onto the water. “Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!” he cried before a massive amount of water rose up to form a massive dragon that proceeded to flood the forest and seemingly wash away all four of Kakashi’s adversaries. Except, when the water finally receded, they were nowhere to be found.

_ Elsewhere In The Forest… _

“Fire Style, Earth Style, Water Style, one right after the other! Nobody’s got that many tricks up their sleeve!” said Naruto as he, Sakura, Boruto, and Sarada lept from treetop to treetop.

“Yeah, well, they don’t call him the Copy Ninja for nothing,” said Sarada. “He’s giving us an expert lesson on just how good he really is.”

“Yeah…” said Naruto.

Meanwhile, as Jiraiya watched the events unfold from his perch in the treetops with the Fifth Hokage and Shizune, he thought to himself,  _ Looks like this could take a while… _

“Well, they still have plenty of time before sunrise…” said Tsunade.

“True…” said Shizune.

“In fact, just watch. I have a feeling it’ll be over sooner than you’d think,” Tsunade said with a chuckle.

As the older ninja were talking, Boruto, Naruto, Sarada, and Sakura were gasping for breath at the foot of a large tree, allowing themselves a few moments to catch their breath. Boruto for his part, had deactivated his Jogan and Kama.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but that Sharingan of his is something else,” said Sarada.

“And his hand signs are faster than the human eye can follow,” added Sakura. “There’s no way we’ll ever be able to get past them. If we ever hope to get those bells, we’ll need to slow down his hands somehow.”

“Like you said, it’s no surprise. You’d expect Kakashi-Sensei to be a strong opponent,” said Naruto. “He’s smarter than Shikamaru. His sense of smell’s stronger than Kiba’s. His Sharingan’s stronger than Sasuke’s, although I’d be willing to bet Sarada’s might be even stronger-”

“Pay the man,” said Sarada, beaming with pride as Naruto continued.

“-his taijutsu’s better than Bushy Brow’s. And on top of that, he’s had more experience than all of us combined.”

“Okay, but even Kakashi-Sensei has to have a weakness of some kind. He has to, right?” said Sakura.

“A weakness…” muttered Naruto.

Several moments passed by as the four ninja thought the situation over, trying to find a weakness in Kakashi’s defenses. Finally, something clicked inside Naruto.

“Wait a minute, I got it!” said Naruto.

_ Back With Kakashi… _

Kakashi leaned up against the trunk of a tree, catching his breath and recovering his strength.

_ I never thought they’d give my Sharingan such a workout, _ he thought.  _ But, I should be able to hold them off until sunrise… although, I can’t help but wonder where Boruto picked up the Chidori… did I teach it to him in the future? Or did he somehow learn it from Sasuke?  _

Kakashi opened his pouch and felt around inside it.  _ Still got plenty of shuriken and kunai… and Make-Out Tactics-no, I better not. It’s not like the old days where I could fight them off and read a book at the same time… but, I’m dying to know what happens. It’s obvious one of the main characters has some sort of dark secret that’s about to be revealed. Oh, man this is killing me! I don’t know if I can wait! _

_ Back With Boruto and Company… _

“Well, if you really think he has a weakness, let’s hear it!” said Sakura.

Naruto chuckled. “Oh, come on, you guys, you know Kakashi-Sensei as well as I do, you should be able to figure it out!”

“Well, let’s just say we can’t, so come on! Tell us!” said Boruto.

“Okay, okay, you really wanna know?” said Naruto.

“Yes!” the other three ninja exclaimed.

“Okay, okay,” said Naruto before explaining his ingenious plan to his comrades.

“Of course!” exclaimed Sakura. “It’s so simple, it’s brilliant!”

“It’s like I said, all you gotta do is think about it and it's obvious!” said Naruto.

“Assuming you’re right, that’ll be the one moment when he won’t have to worry about his hand signs or his Sharingan!” said Boruto, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“And that’s when we take him down!” said Naruto as he stood up. “No sense standing around here, time’s a-wastin. It’s up to us to make the first move.”

“Well, okay! Let’s do it!” said Sakura.

_ Thirty Minutes Later… _

Kakashi caught an all-too-familiar sent in the wind and turned in the direction it was coming from.  _ They’re here, _ he thought.

Not even a moment later, Naruto, Sakura, Boruto, and Sarada emerged from the bushes and flew at Kakashi, who scoffed.

“A frontal attack, huh? Getting a little overconfident, aren’t you?” said Kakashi.

“Now, Naruto!” said Sakura.

“Listen to this, Kakashi-Sensei! I know the final plot twist of Make-Out Tactics!” yelled Naruto.

Kakashi’s eyes widened in horror. “Wha-what?! No! No!” he cried out.

“Turns out the hero is actually none other than-”

“No! Shut up! I don’t wanna hear!” cried Kakashi as he covered his ears with his hands, only to realize something bad. “Oh no! Because of the Sharingan, I can still read his lips!” Kakashi cried before closing both of his eyes as hard as he could and pressing his hands closer over his ears.

The next moment, Kakashi felt something get tugged off of his belt. Cautiously opening his, he saw that Boruto, Naruto, Sarada, and Sakura were each holding a bell. Checking his belt, he saw that the bells had been taken.

“‘A ninja must see through deception,’” said Naruto.

“Isn’t that right, Sensei?” asked Sakura as she made a peace sign.

Kakashi heaved a sigh. “I deserved that,” he said, before all five ninja laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She is, finito! Now, in the original version of this project, I was going to jump right into the Gaara rescue arc, but after giving it some thought, those plans have changed. Join us next time as Naruto reunites with Hinata Hyuga, asks her out, and Team Seven learns more about our time traveling heroes! In the meantime, be sure to kudos, bookmark, and comment!


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